Convertible halter and twitch.



PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

0'. MQULINTOGK. CONVERTIBLE HALTER AND TWITGH.

APPLICATION FILED JAILIQ, 1907.

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No. 856,415. PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

O. MOQLINTOOK. CONVERTIBLE HALTER AND TWITCH.

APPLICATION TILED JAN. 19, 1907 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: INVEINTOR CO-.MbAC Czar/P" (1571,5001? f/ BY AIS army 1n: Npnms PETERS ca. WASMINOYON. b. c.

CHARLES MGOLINTOCK, OF ELWOOD, INDIANA.

CONVERTIBLE HALTER AND TWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

Application filed January 19, 1907. Serial No. 353,081.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES MoCLINTooK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elwood, in the county of Madison and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Halters and Twitches, of which the following is a specifi cation.

This invention relates to the subject of harness, and has particular reference to a novel and practical construction of halter which maybe properly characterized as a convertible halter and twitch capable, through certain adjustments, of being utilized as an ordinary halter and also as a twitch for controlling fractious or vicious animals.

To this end the invention contemplates a halter construction embodying a single halter rope, and a plurality of connections and adjusting devices therefor, which render it possible to adjust the parts and arrange them in such positions as to adapt the gear for use as an effective halter, or for use as a twitch wherein a loop or noose is held and drawn around the upper gum of the animal behind the upper lip.

With these and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

The essential features of the invention involved in the means providing for the convertibility of the gear from a halter to a twitch and vice versa, are necessarily susceptible to structural change without departing from the scope of the invention, but a preferred embodiment of the same is shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a perspective view of the halter and twitch shown in its applied position upon the head of a horse, and illustrating the parts adjusted for use as a halter only. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts of the halter adjusted for use as a twitch. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional elevation showing the construction and action of one of the rope adjusting clamps carried by the brow band and also by the cheek strap. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the throat clutch which adjustably connects the neck loop and the nose loop and also acts as a uide for the free end of the halter rope.

Li *e references designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the same includes in its 01'- ganization as a foundation element a single length halter rope the runs of which are arranged to provide two principal loops, namely, an extensible neck loop 2 adapted to pass around the animals neck back of the ears, and an extensible nose loop 3 adapted to engage the horses nose in the ditlerent ways hereinafter explained.

The neck and nose loops 2 and 3 are maintained in their relative positions, and the halter held properly fitted upon the animals head through the medium of an adjustable brow band 4 and the adjustable side cheek straps 5. The brow band 4 and the upper ends of the cheek straps 5 are connected with the side runs of the neck loop through the interposition of rope adjusting clamps 6, while the lower ends of the cheek straps are connected with opposite portions of the nose loop by means of similar rope adjusting clamps 7. The brow band 4 consists of separate strap sections adjustably connected by an adjusting buckle 8, and the side cheek straps 5 likewise consist of separate strap sections adjustably connected by adjusting buckles 9, said buckles 8 and 9 providing means whereby the brow band and cheek straps can be readily lengthened and shortened to suit the size of the animals head and also to provide for converting the halter from one use to the other.

Each of the rope adjusting clamps 6 essentially consists of a cu'fl' member 10 receiving the halter rope, and a cam lever 11 provided at one end with a strap eye 12, and at its other end with a clutch head 13 having a serrated gripping surface 14 and a transversely disposed clearance slot 15 receiving a fulcrum pin 16 fitted in the checks of the cull 10 and serving to connect the latter with the lever 11. of the parts 10 and 11, the pin 16 is brought to one end of the slot 15, and then by relative tilting of said elements 10 and 11, as shown in Fig. 3, the rope can be slid through the clamp for adjustment purposes, and then re-clamped by reversing the operation described. ends of the cheek straps are similar in construction and action to the clamps 6, and hence the same reference numbers will apply to similar parts.

The strap eye 12 of each clamp 6 has secured therein one end of the brow band and By a relative lateral shifting The said clamps 7 for the lower V the upper end. of one cheek strap, while the lower end of the latter is secured in the strap eye 12 of the clamp 7 therefor.

One terminal of the halter rope, at one end of the neck loop 2, has fitted thereto a terminal coupling snap hook 17 adapted to detachably engage a guide ring 18 through which loosely passes the free run of the neck loop 2, and from the ring 18 the free portion of the rope passes through and is adjustably held by the rope clamp part of a throat clutch 19. This throat clutch essentially consists of a block member 20 provided at one end with a sleeve element 21 having mounted therein the clutch head 22 of a cam lever 23. This cam lever is provided in the clutch head part thereof with a transversely disposed clearance slot 24 receiving the fulcrum pin 25 fitted in the sleeve element 21 of the block 20, thus providing a construction of clamp having substantially the same mechanical action as the clamps 6 and 7. The outer end of the cam lever 23 is provided with an attaching head 26 provided with oppositely located holding eyes 27 and 28 which are adapted to be respectively en gaged by the terminal snap 17, and by one end of the doubled rope-link 29, the opposite end of which rope link has a permanent connection with the guide ring 18.

The block member 20 is provided at the end opposite the rope clamp with a guide housing 30 through which is guided the free end of the rope 1 over the guide pulley or sheave 31 mounted in the said housing. Over the pulley and within the housing 30 there is preferably arranged a wedge-shaped means of the free end of the rope.

rope locking key 32 provided at its small end with a stop projection 33 to prevent displacement. It is simply necessary to press this key in a longitudinal direction to bind the same against the rope in the guide or pulley housing 30, and thereby hold the nose loop tight when used particularly as a twitch.

When the harness or gear is used simply as a halter, the nose loop 3 is passed around the outside of the horses nose in the usual position, and the snap 17 engaged with the guide ring 18 thereby holding the throat clutch 19 well up under the throat so that the horse can be easily handled and tied by This is plainly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

To convert the harness into a twitch the various rope clamps described are loosened up to permit the running out of the rope to extend the nose loop so that it may be passed around the upper gum of the animal behind the upper lip. The buckles of the cheek straps are also adjusted to lengthen such straps for this purpose, and the terminal coupling snap 17 is disengaged from the ring 18 and connected with the eye 27 of the rope clamp lever 23 as plainly shown in Fig. 2.

The latter connection provides for dropping or lowering the throat clutch sufficiently from the animals throat to accommodate the changed direction of pull on the nose loop, and so that the rope clamp 2123 will be held more effectively by the neck loopwhich is enlarged or contracted as may be desired through the manipulation of the clamp of the throat clutch.

I claim 1 In a convertible halter and twitch, a single length halter rope arranged to form an extensible neck loop and an extensible nose loop, a brow band and cheek straps having adjustable clamp connections with the neck loop, adjustable. clamp connections between the cheek straps and the nose loop, and a throat clutch having a clamp for the rope between the two loops and a guide for the free end of the rope from the nose loop.

2. In a convertible halter and twitch, a sin.- gle length halter rope arranged to form an extensible neck loop and an extensible nose loop, an adjustable brow band, adjustable cheek straps, rope clamps connecting the ends of the brow band and the upper ends of the cheek straps with the neck loop, and other rope clamps connecting the lower ends of the cheek straps with the nose loop, said rope clamps consisting of relatively shiftable and tiltable cuff and lever members, the former having a fixed fulcrum pin and the latter having a cam head provided with a transverse clearance slot receiving said pin, and a throat clutch having a clamp for the rope between the two loops and a guide for the free end of the rope.

3. In a convertible halter and twitch, a single length halter rope arranged to form an extensible neck loop and an extensible nose loop, and an adjustable throat clutch having a lever clamp for the rope between the two loops and also having a combined guide and iock for the free end of the rope from the nose oop.

4. In a convertible halter and twitch, a sin gle length halter rope arranged to form an extensible neck loop and an extensible nose loop, a guide ring receiving the free run of the neck loop, an adjustable throat clutch having a clamp lever for the portion of the rope between the two loops and a combined guide and lock for the free end of the rope from the nose loop, a link connecting said clamp lever with the guide ring, and a coupling snap carried by one terminal of the neck loop and adapted to engage either said guide ring or said clamp lever.

In testimony whereof I hereunto a'ffix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES MOCLINTOOK. Witnesses ELI P. MYERs, ANNA FLOYD. 

